


My Little Firefighter

by townieclownie



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: also implied "tenn dies" ending, implied "louis gets his tongue removed" ending, takes place directly after the delta mission, when they make it back to the school
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:00:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24294745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/townieclownie/pseuds/townieclownie
Summary: Everybody is reeling after Clem loses her leg.Inspired by "How I Protekted Clem by Alvin Junior" (posted on Reddit by Skybound).
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	My Little Firefighter

**Author's Note:**

> https://www.reddit.com/r/TheWalkingDeadGame/comments/b611zi/how_i_protekted_clem_by_alvin_junior/

AJ was waiting at the gates for no longer than a few seconds before Ruby spotted them.

Her look of relief was quickly overtaken by panic as she noticed Clem’s leg.

_Well…_ lack thereof.

She hastily let them in, taking the wheelbarrow from a weary-looking, walker-gut-smeared Alvin Junior. Violet joined them soon after, and she scooped AJ straight up into her arms. There was no time to react to the putrid smell on both of them, or to properly worry for the unconscious Clementine. They were all on autopilot. 

Except for AJ, who’d been overrun by so much fear, adrenaline, and grief in the course of just a few hours, that the moment his head found Violet’s chest, he just about passed out.

Everyone was at their sides, rushing them into the main building and following whatever directions Ruby shouted to them. Willy and Ruby removed Clem from the wheelbarrow and carried her up the stairs, to the same sofa on which they’d tended to AJ’s gunshot wound.

Ruby examined the sight of the amputation, and gave a curious hum. “Jesus, I don’t know what that kid did but he managed to stopped the bleeding real well,” Ruby noted.

Violet braced herself before letting herself glance at the sight.

The end of the stump, which was still a bit revolting to look at, appeared a little blackened in some spots. “He cauterized it.” She looked down at his sleeping face. “Wonder where he learned that.”

Louis rushed over and silently handed Ruby a bottle of peroxide and a roll of bandages. Ruby applied both, while everyone watched on. Soon as she was finished, she felt Clem’s forehead. A tad warmer than normal, but nothing to raise much concern.

When it seemed as though there was nothing more they could do for her, they all stepped back and just looked at her.

They’d all been anxious for Clem’s and AJ’s return, but they hadn’t expected it to be like this. In fact, they’d been ready to see them heroically burst through the gates, and they would’ve all hugged and cheered and cried together, for their hard-earned success and for their freedom from those bastards who’d been after them for so long.

But now their return was bittersweet.

It was thrilling to have them both back home. But here they were with their fierce warrior on their hands, now handicapped, her current condition now unpredictable.

Violet headed off to the room belonging to the two, and approached AJ’s bed. But just as she began to set him down, he stirred before opening his eyes. _“Clem,”_ he muttered.

He glanced at his surroundings, and with a look of panic, he leapt out of Violet’s grip and bolted from the room, ignoring her as she called out his name.

He found them all surrounding Clem on the sofa, and he shoved through them to kneel down next to her. Tears gathered in his eyes at the sight of her, and he grabbed one of her limp hands.

“Please don’t die, Clem,” he whispered, the tears rolling down his face as he pressed her hand to his face, the way one would embrace a comfort blanket or stuffed animal. “ _Please_ don’t die…”

Ruby took a step forward. “She’s going to be okay, AJ. You did a good job with her.” Then she set a hand on his shoulder. “I think you should go to bed-”

_“No!”_ He shoved Ruby’s hand away and gave her an adamant glare. “I’m _not_ leaving her until she wakes up.”

Ruby opened her mouth to dissuade him, but closed it again. This was AJ. Stubborn, little AJ with a will of steel. She knew she couldn’t convince him to sleep in the comfort of his own bed. Not that she blamed him, however.

One by one, the group began heading off to their rooms, leaving AJ and Clem alone.

Once they were all gone, he wiped away his tears and scooted backward until his back hit the wall. He pulled his knees up to his chest, and he waited.

He knew he’d be waiting for a long time, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t foresee himself falling asleep anytime soon.

...of course, within a few hours, as the building began to glow orange with the morning sunlight, he felt his eyelids grow heavy. He was a beyond-worried six-year-old boy, but still just a six-year-old boy nonetheless, and he could only go so long without sleeping, especially after everything that had ensued hours earlier.

He stood up and carefully inched Clem toward the back of the couch, making room so he could climb in next to her.

He wrapped his arms around her, yawned one last time, and fell into a deep, greatly-needed sleep.

  
  
  


AJ slept for several hours, but as soon as he woke up, he returned to his spot on the floor. He was too anxious to be bored, even as the hours dragged on. The others tried to invite him to play a card game, or to spend time with them in the courtyard. But each time, he refused.

As the building darkened, Omar came up the stairs with a bowl and a recycled bottle filled with water.

“Here you go,” he said, setting the bowl of stew in front AJ. He set the water down next to one of the couch legs. “And that’s for when she wakes up.”

AJ wasn’t the least bit hungry, but he wasn’t going to tell Omar that. He simply muttered, “Thanks,” and went back to watching Clem.

Omar nodded without another word, and made his way back down the stairs.

It wasn’t too long after that that Clem coughed.

AJ gasped and sat up straight, before scrambling over to pick up the water and hand it to her. Without a word, she took it from him and chugged it all down, and panted after pulling the bottle away from her lips. Then she sat up and looked down at her leg, which now ended just below the knee.

She went numb. 

She remembered at the very beginning of it all, when Lee had had his arm cut off, but had slipped away from her anyway.

She remembered a couple of years later, in the ambulance with Pete, telling him with such certainty that removing the sight of a walker bite never worked.

But here she sat now, after being so sure that the previous night was going to be her last. Having to face the fact that it was her time, and having to tell herself over and over that AJ would be in good hands with the others, and if worst came to worst, he knew how to fend for himself. Here she was, after believing for so long that a bite meant the end of the road, now missing the lower half of her leg, 

still alive.

AJ stood next to her, watching her take it all in. “Are you mad?” He asked.

It took her a few moments to find her voice. When she did, she replied, “No.” Her voice broke, and her eyes began to water. “Just…” She sniffled. “Just surprised is all.”

He looked down at the floor, so as not to stare at the stump. “I know you said to kill you if you got bit,” He shook his head. “...but you were wrong.” 

She didn’t have anything to say to that, other than a soft, “Guess so,” because she knew it was the truth.

“I didn’t want you to leave me alone,” he told her. “Even if we have friends here, even if I know all the rules... I’m not ready to be alone.”

She flinched as guilt stabbed her in the heart. She knew all too well what it’s like to be a kid in the midsts of an absolute hellscape of a world, with no foundation of guidance and comfort, nobody to watch your back, nobody to care for you in times of need. So soon after being forced to kill the person who promised to protect you. But despite wanting to just curl up and cry, and simply _wait_ for someone to scoop you up and take you away from all the scary things, you have to push forward and survive. Paying no mind to your fear and loneliness. 

She didn’t want AJ to have to endure that... Not like she did.

Because she hadn’t been ready to be alone either.

She wrapped an arm around him and pulled him into a side hug. “Well, you’re the one who gets to make the hard calls.” With the squeeze of his cheek, she made him giggle and pull his face away. “My little firefighter.”


End file.
